How final is Java´s final?

Programming has evolved with diverse ways of doing things all with the aim of removing ambiguity and creating optimized methods in solving problems. The final keyword in Java has been a point of discussion and controversy since the inception of the Java programming Language. The final keyword has been seen by Java programmers as a necessary tool for optimization. Other programmers have also seen it as a setback on the implementation of inheritance and re-useability. Few questions should be asked: Any relationship between final and finalization? Is the problem of optimization solved in the light of the usage of the final keyword? Are there better ways to present the idea behind this keyword which should be considered in the next version of Java? Though not totally a fan of `final´ (you will find that out by the time you read my `final´ comment on final), in this paper, these questions are answered and a quick review of this keyword is done with the purpose of exposing its features, usefulness and, possibly, presenting its defects as most programmers tend to postulate. An exposé on the concept behind the keyword is done to establish whether Java´s final keyword is actually `final´.